Physical forces act on the intestinal wall when the intestine propels chime. The intestinal tract is abundantly innervated with mechanosensors to sense the physical forces in intestinal wall when a meal transits through the gut. The excitation of extrinsic sensory afferents provides clear evidence of the intestinal mechanosensory endings in response to distension. These sensory afferents respond to mechanical stimulation arising during intestinal distension and contraction. The level of mesenteric afferent firing increases in proportion to the increase in intraintestinal pressure.
Brain-gut interactions are recognized as major players in physiological and pathophysiological regulation of the intestinal tract. The intestinal tract is dominated by enteric nervous system together with the myogenic pacemakers known as interstitial cells of Cajal that allows the intestine to have a considerable degree of independent control from the central nervous system.
Although the mechanical sensory and afferent excitations in response to mechanical stimulation have been extensively studied, the role of mechanical stimulation on intestinal contractility is poorly understood. Intestinal contractility consists of intricate interplay between intestinal sensors to afferent nerves to central nervous system and back to efferent nerves and intestinal smooth muscles.
Unfortunately, there is currently no quantitative method to study the intact (in vitro or in situ) intestinal contractility. To understand the relation between distension (intestinal sensors) and contractility (intestinal smooth muscles), a novel quantitative assay was used, namely an in situ and in vitro isovolumic myograph, to determine the role of extrinsic nervous system and intrinsic nervous regulation on the contractility. An external restraint was used to inhibit the distension and hence determine the role of distension or stretch. Depending on the outcomes of the study, use of such a restraint may be useful to, depending on configuration and placement, operate as a safe and effective weight loss device.
In view of the foregoing, a novel intestinal device and method for using the same to facilitate weight loss, for example, would be well accepted in the marketplace.